Ow. [Translyvania]

[Moldova]

A low whine escaped her. She hurt.... All over. All. Over. Iona looked up from her blanket and stared at her kitchen. Her economy had been especially bad and it hit her hard. She could barely move, let alone function. She needed alcohol. Badly. She rolled off the couch onto the floor and crawled to her kitchen, her whine escalating to a loud wail. She pulled herself to her feet, leaning heavily on the counter and reached as high as she could for her liquor cabinet. The doors swung open. Empty.

She screamed and sunk to her knees. She'd cleaned it out. All of it. She couldn't live without it, let alone function on one of these days. With new vigor, she wrapped herself in a jacket and trekked outside. She couldn't go all the way to sister Ukraine's house, let alone deal with her long enough to get wine, so she headed in the opposite direction, to the much closer house. Which of her 'brothers' or 'mother' would be home? She shuddered, hoping brother Walachia was out. He scared her.

She was about to give up and collapse when she saw the door, nearly crying with happiness and scurrying to the door. She knocked. No answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. Without thought, she checked the knob. Open. Iona shuffled inside, making a beeline for the kitchen and sniffing out a bottle of who knew what. She didn't care. Opening it, she drank happily straight from the bottle, eagerly gulping down whatever she could.

Mind now pleasantly numb, pain in her chest and stomach subsiding, she slipped off her jacket and hung it up. Was anyone here? Were they all out-- She stopped herself. No. She would not think of that. She couldn't bring herself to imagine any of them..... She shuddered again, tilting her head back for another swig of the liquid courage and pain reliever.

"A-Alo....?"

[Transylvania]

[/b] He moved towards the cabinet as well, grabbing a bottle and then a glass and pouring the liquid inside before he sat down. He motioned for her to sit as well. "Are you doing alright love? Or is something wrong?" He couldn't help but feel a bit protective over her, he considered her a sister to him because his mother had helped raise her.

Placing the glass against his lips, he took a sip of the liquid before he let his eyes return to her, watching her closely.[/ul]

[Moldova]

Iona blinked in surprise, alcohol buzzing through her brain and making her less likely to scream or flinch when surprised. Ah, so Nicholas was here. She automatically felt safe in his prescence. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was comforting to be near him. She also had a habit of turning bright red whenever he was around. Iona felt her face and neck heat up and took another gulp from her bottle, knowing how unladylike she looked, how graceless she appeared next to frate Nicholas, who had the elegance and grace anyone, man or woman, would die for. Her eyes searched for her shoes and her mouth struggled to create words.

"A-Ah...... Alo, F-Frate......" Her tongue rebelled, trying to slur her words, "I-I'm.... M-My..... Economy." She forced her words to obey, but just barely. Embarrassed, she scurried over next to him, aching body moving surprisingly quick, and climbed onto the seat beside him. She set the bottle down, then realized she had yet to grab a glass. Oh, forget it! Elegance was something she'd never accomplish! She grasped the bottle by the neck again, tilting her head back to take a large gulp, and shyly wiped any excess away with the back of her hand. Oh, how unladylike she was!

"I'm s-sorry.... I'm f-fine... Just... the normal economy issues," she softly fumbled over the words, but was glad she completed a whole sentence in his prescence. This was more than she'd say to most people. Frate Nicholas just had that effect on her. She could practically feel how closely he was examining her, and felt herself turn a shade darker. Perhaps two shades. He did this to her, but it was worth it.

She liked her Romanian family, though she tried to keep her autonomy and live outside their house. A large part of her wanted to rejoin them, but the rest would leave her if they did. She felt Transnistria inside her stir, and her gut felt as if it had recieved a blow. She let out a low whine, immediately responding with another douse of whatever she had been drinking, wine perhaps. This was to be a long and difficult exsistance.

[Transylvania]

[/b] His voice was soft and sweet as he spoke to her, a soft smile forming on his lips. He wanted nothing more then to protect her from hardships, but even he couldn't truly do that, the world has a very cruel way to it.[/ul]

[Moldova]

Iona was sure frate Nicholas was pitying her, now. She was aware of how sickly she was most days. She knew how weak her economy and government were. In fact, she'd seen it first-hand. But it did not mean she wanted, or needed, pity. Especially not from him. She knew she'd have to work hard just to scrape by, but if it meant she would gain the respect she needed, then she'd do it. Iona took a large swig from the bottle, and placed it gently on the table, thinking. She would forever be pitted against bigger, stronger countries. Couldn't she just give up? She was practically living off the money she earned from frate Ivan, it would be so easy just to give up.

But, no, her pride prevented her from doing such a thing. In fact, as she sat there and felt frate Nicholas' gaze burn into her, she knew she'd never truly give in, no matter how sick and weak she became. She glanced at his glass, then at him, as his eyes serached the room. She bit her lip as he spoke, looking down at her feet, "Th-Thank you..........." She managed to force the words out, even though she felt like she wouldn't be able to speak.

[Transylvania]

[/b] He smiled at her, a true and genuine smile that not many people aside from those closest to him had ever seen. "You'll be wonderful."[/ul]

[Moldova]

Iona trained her eyes on the floor, tilting the bottle back to capture the last drops that still lingered deep in the bottle. Her shyness was so painfully obvious to her, to everyone, and yet she couldn't even say more than 'thank you' to Frate Nicholas when he offered the very help she needed desperately. If she had a little more gumption, she might have voiced how truly thankful she was. Maybe thanked him for allowing her to just walk into his home and drink his alcohol. Maybe she could compliment how good it was, make small talk. But she kept her mouth firmly shut as if glued.

Before she really knew what was going on, his fingertips were lifting her chin so their eyes could meet. She felt her face flush upon contact, the color only deepening by the connection of blue eyes to blue eyes. Really, what he saw in such a frail young girl, she didn't know, but she was rather stunned for the moment by the gesture.

She was even more stunned when he touched his lips to her forehead. Her pale skin was now a brilliant crimson, like a bright beacon in the center of the room. And he continued to hold contact, fingers brushing her blazing cheek. And he said nice things about her. Her lips parted in a surprised 'o' and she tried to speak, but the alcohol and her own timidness kept her from words for a moment.

"I-I f frate Nicholas s-says so, it m-m-must be t-true..." And then he gave her a real smile. Nearly no one saw those from him, but God was the effect mesmerizing. Iona felt her knees go weak, probably from a mixture of her own fatigue, her drunkenness, and that smile. It was all she could do not to, for once, voice her opinion on such a small gesture, and she slipped from her chair and rushed to get another bottle of wine before she embarrassed herself further by blushing more or blurting something out that she'd regret, later.

[Transylvania]

[/b] He placed his hand down some, keeping his eyes upon her, looking at her closely. "You aren't in trouble here and you will always be safe when I'm near. So, relax my dear."

Standing up, Nicholas moved over to her and gently took the wine bottle from her hand and lead her back towards the table they had been sitting at.[/ul]